How To Create RESTful APIs And Consume Them in ABAP Development Tools
The ABAP Development Tools is built on the open Eclipse platform and offer a public API to implement or integrate your own tools. Download the Document"Create And Consume RESTful APIs in ADT"
"Software Development Kit for ABAP Development Tools"
Version: 1.3
Date: <2026-02-03>
Owner: "Thomas Alexander Ritter" >
"Software Development Kit for ABAP Development Tools"
Version: 1.3
Date: <2026-02-03>
Owner: "Thomas Alexander Ritter" >
© 2026 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. See Legal Notice on www.sap.com/legal-notice for use terms, disclaimers, disclosures, or restrictions related to this material. 2 / 44
Table of contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Business Scenario .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Target Group.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Background Information ............................................................................................................................................................... 5
Prerequisites .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
SAP ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Eclipse ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Implementation ................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Glossary..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Example ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Tutorial for Creating Resources on the AS ABAP ................................................................................... 7
Prerequisites .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Creation of the Resource Controller ................................................................................................................................... 8
Creating a Resource Controller Class ................................................................................................................................................ 8
Creating a Simple Transformation ........................................................................................................................................................ 9
Implementing the Controller Method GET .................................................................................................................................. 10
Registration of the Resource Controller ........................................................................................................................ 12
Creating a Resource Application Class .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Implementing a Resource Application Class ............................................................................................................................. 12
Creating an Enhancement Implementation................................................................................................................................. 15
Assigning Filter Values to the Enhancement Implementation ....................................................................................... 16
Making the Resource Discoverable .................................................................................................................................. 16
Registering the Resource Application for the Discovery ................................................................................................... 17
Assigning Filter Values to the Enhancement Implementation ....................................................................................... 18
Providing an Own Discovery Resource Application .............................................................................................................. 19
Tutorial for Consuming REST Resources in the Eclipse Client ......................................................22
Prerequisites ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Creation of an Eclipse Plug-in................................................................................................................................................ 22
Creating the Flight Plug-in ........................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Declaring the Dependencies ................................................................................................................................................................. 23
Implementation of a Simple Back End Call ................................................................................................................ 23
Implementing the Handler Method................................................................................................................................................... 24
Deserialization of the REST Response ........................................................................................................................... 26
Creating a Class for FlightData ............................................................................................................................................................. 27
Creating a Content Handler .................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Table of contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Business Scenario .............................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Target Group.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Background Information ............................................................................................................................................................... 5
Prerequisites .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
SAP ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Eclipse ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Implementation ................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Glossary..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Example ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Tutorial for Creating Resources on the AS ABAP ................................................................................... 7
Prerequisites .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Creation of the Resource Controller ................................................................................................................................... 8
Creating a Resource Controller Class ................................................................................................................................................ 8
Creating a Simple Transformation ........................................................................................................................................................ 9
Implementing the Controller Method GET .................................................................................................................................. 10
Registration of the Resource Controller ........................................................................................................................ 12
Creating a Resource Application Class .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Implementing a Resource Application Class ............................................................................................................................. 12
Creating an Enhancement Implementation................................................................................................................................. 15
Assigning Filter Values to the Enhancement Implementation ....................................................................................... 16
Making the Resource Discoverable .................................................................................................................................. 16
Registering the Resource Application for the Discovery ................................................................................................... 17
Assigning Filter Values to the Enhancement Implementation ....................................................................................... 18
Providing an Own Discovery Resource Application .............................................................................................................. 19
Tutorial for Consuming REST Resources in the Eclipse Client ......................................................22
Prerequisites ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Creation of an Eclipse Plug-in................................................................................................................................................ 22
Creating the Flight Plug-in ........................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Declaring the Dependencies ................................................................................................................................................................. 23
Implementation of a Simple Back End Call ................................................................................................................ 23
Implementing the Handler Method................................................................................................................................................... 24
Deserialization of the REST Response ........................................................................................................................... 26
Creating a Class for FlightData ............................................................................................................................................................. 27
Creating a Content Handler .................................................................................................................................................................... 28
© 2026 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. See Legal Notice on www.sap.com/legal-notice for use terms, disclaimers, disclosures, or restrictions related to this material. 3 / 44
Creating a New Plug-In Fragment for Unit Tests ...................................................................................................................... 29
Declaring Dependencies .......................................................................................................................................................................... 29
Creating a Unit Test for the Content Handler ............................................................................................................................. 29
Getting Your Test Running ....................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Running the Unit Test .................................................................................................................................................................................. 40
Usage of the Discovery to Get the Flight URI ............................................................................................................ 41
Disclaimer ..................................................................................................................................................................43
Creating a New Plug-In Fragment for Unit Tests ...................................................................................................................... 29
Declaring Dependencies .......................................................................................................................................................................... 29
Creating a Unit Test for the Content Handler ............................................................................................................................. 29
Getting Your Test Running ....................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Running the Unit Test .................................................................................................................................................................................. 40
Usage of the Discovery to Get the Flight URI ............................................................................................................ 41
Disclaimer ..................................................................................................................................................................43
© 2026 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. See Legal Notice on www.sap.com/legal-notice for use terms, disclaimers, disclosures, or restrictions related to this material. 4 / 44
Document History
Document Version Description
1.3 Reworking section “1.4 Prerequisites”
1.2 Adding section “2.4.3.1 Prerequisites”
1.1 Updating section “3.4.6.1 Implementing the Serialize and Deserialize Method”
and minor issues
1.0 First official release of this guide
Document History
Document Version Description
1.3 Reworking section “1.4 Prerequisites”
1.2 Adding section “2.4.3.1 Prerequisites”
1.1 Updating section “3.4.6.1 Implementing the Serialize and Deserialize Method”
and minor issues
1.0 First official release of this guide
© 2026 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. See Legal Notice on www.sap.com/legal-notice for use terms, disclaimers, disclosures, or restrictions related to this material. 5 / 44
Introduction
Business Scenario
This tutorial shows you how to implement a simple RESTful API in the ABAP back end and how to
consume it from the Java client.
It follows the implementation of a resource controller for getting data from a flight resource. This
RESTful API allows an Eclipse client to read and display existing flight data from the Application
Server ABAP (AS ABAP).
Figure 1: RESTful API that reads existing flight data from the ABAP server and consumes it on the Eclipse client
Target Group
Developers who create new Eclipse-based tools.
Background Information
This tutorial provides guidance on the following topics:
General:
• Communication between the client and the ABAP server
ABAP Server:
• Creating server-side resource controllers that are responsible for handling the API calls
• Serializing and deserializing XML data through simple transformations
• Creating application classes. These make it possible to call resource controllers from the
client
• Adding the new API to the discovery API document
Eclipse Client:
• Creating a new Eclipse plug-in
Introduction
Business Scenario
This tutorial shows you how to implement a simple RESTful API in the ABAP back end and how to
consume it from the Java client.
It follows the implementation of a resource controller for getting data from a flight resource. This
RESTful API allows an Eclipse client to read and display existing flight data from the Application
Server ABAP (AS ABAP).
Figure 1: RESTful API that reads existing flight data from the ABAP server and consumes it on the Eclipse client
Target Group
Developers who create new Eclipse-based tools.
Background Information
This tutorial provides guidance on the following topics:
General:
• Communication between the client and the ABAP server
ABAP Server:
• Creating server-side resource controllers that are responsible for handling the API calls
• Serializing and deserializing XML data through simple transformations
• Creating application classes. These make it possible to call resource controllers from the
client
• Adding the new API to the discovery API document
Eclipse Client:
• Creating a new Eclipse plug-in